McMahon, Rob

Name: Rob McMahon
Department: Physical Education
Year started: 2005
Classes Taught: Health and weight training
Education: University of Pittsburgh, Slippery Rock University, Ursinus College
Previous Jobs: Personal trainer, landscaper, roofer
Hobbies: Archery, martial arts, collecting comic books

The usual noise surrounds the weight room. The football players are noisy, music is blaring and others are screaming while trying to finish their final repetitions. However, most of the noise is coming from Rob McMahon. "Don't bend your back," he says to a freshman. "Push harder," he says to one of the football players.

McMahon (jenny)

Photo: Rob McMahon has excelled as the weight training teacher for the past two years at Blair.

Rob McMahon has excelled as the weight training teacher for the past two years at Blair. Photo courtesy of Jenny Williams.

Almost everyday after school, McMahon helps train sports teams and other Blair students who wish to become more fit. McMahon enjoys his job as a weight training teacher. He doesn't mind spending extra hours almost every day after school to further improve his students along with others apart of the Blair community. "I enjoy what I do. I like seeing my kids thrive and excel," he says.

McMahon's favorite part of his job is watching his students improve and develop. "At the end of every year, I give my students a survey to evaluate myself as a teacher. I like it when they say that they will continue to use the information that I've taught them."

After graduating with a degree in exercise science from Ursinus College, McMahon worked in corporate fitness for six months, but found a new love for personal training "I like teaching people. Knowledge is power," he says. He also worked as an exercise specialist and as a fitness director. Reminiscing on old times, McMahon admits he once worked as a dish washer and as a bus boy during college.

But after college McMahon mainly focused on personal training. During his years as a fitness trainer, he enjoyed seeing his clients progress and improve most. But after six years, McMahon found himself tired of his job. "I got out of personal training because it's too hard to change adult's lifestyles. I would rather teach the youth" he says.

McMahon's passion for teaching developed from being a personal trainer. "When I was personal training, I was already doing a lot of teaching," McMahon says. His decision to become a full time teacher emerged from his passion for kids, "I like being around youth, they're not tainted. I like seeing kids excel," he says.

McMahon's desire to further pursue teaching full time led him to Blair in the 2005-2006 school year. "I picked Blair because it was an excellent opportunity to experience diverse cultures and try to expand students' knowledge on fitness." McMahon is now one of the weight training teachers in Blair's Physical Education Department. During his first year teaching at Blair, he taught health along with weight training.

While McMahon enjoys teaching, he takes part in other activities. McMahon is a full time collector of CDs and action figures. "I have many kiss action figures and over six hundred CD's," he says with a smile. He also enjoys archery, martial arts, painting and landscaping. McMahon confesses that if he wasn't teaching, he would be a landscaper, "I just love being outside. I do my own yard. I have fruit tress and will soon start growing a vegetable garden," he says.

In the future, McMahon still sees himself continuing to provide a service through teaching. His passion is to provide knowledge down to other people, no matter what he is teaching. McMahon plans to pass down his various skills and information to his child in the future. "I want my kid to have as much knowledge as possible. I want my child to excel," he says.